“We have really promising politicians in the area that might not be in power but are doing their job representing us as the opposition and to critique the government. That’s still a form of representation.

“They’re not just doing good jobs now. People like Dan Jarvis, Louise Haigh and even Oliver Coppard are here to build a better future for our constituency. They’re the big hitters of the future.”

Meanwhile, Mr Price said he is unsure whether the Liberal Democrats will ever recover from the party’s nose-dive at this year’s election.

He said: “Nick Clegg has presided over the total reversal of Liberal Democrat gains that have taken three decades to do. He has undone three decades of work.

“What does that mean for the Lib Dems? It’s not just about the individuals here, it’s about the party machine. Everything that makes a party work has been taken away.

“It’s a total collapse of the Liberal Democrats and I’m not sure the party can recover from it.”